The romance mystery is about a
young woman who goes from town to town using different identities to steal from
her employers. However, using the name Marnie, she encounters something
unexpected – her employer Mark Rutland has fallen in love and wants to marry
her (fully aware of her exploits as a thief). With his help, Marnie might finally
be able to confront her severe psychological problems stemming from her
childhood.
Director Alfred
Hitchcock again works with his frequent collaborators on the film,
including composer Bernard
Herrmann (who again produces a fabulous score, and his last for
Hitchcock), cinematographer Robert
Burks, and production designer Robert
Boyle.
The film is Hitchcock’s second
with actress Tippi Hedren
(following The Birds).
Sean Connery also stars, with
Diane Baker, Martin Gabel, Louise Latham, and Alan Napier in support.
Marnie is one of Hitchcock’s more
subversive films in terms of the male lead’s obsession with the female lead almost
being really creepy (akin to Scottie’s infatuation with Madeleine Elster in Vertigo). Rutland
keeps Marnie like a caged bird, determined to cure her (and thereby make her
love him). If not for Connery’s supreme charm, Rutland would probably not be a
very likable character and the film would not work.
The film was a critical failure
upon its release (though a moderate box office success), but has since found its
place included among Hitchcock’s greatest films (but more so among the director’s
pundits than in popular canonized cinema). The film is also a nod to Hitchcock’s
love of American writer Edgar Allan Poe, and there are many references
throughout. Hitchcock credits Poe as one of his major influences in his
decision to make suspense films. Marnie is a must-see for fans of Hitchcock’s
work.
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